By MARK CASHMAN

Wow what a feast of tries over the weekend. As the sun set on Round Seven of the Shute Shield competition on Saturday there were 59 five pointers in all scored.

A total of 13 in the 7TWO TV match of the round at Coogee Oval between Randwick and Eastwood while at Rat Park it was another try-laden thriller between Warringah and Southern Districts saw a neat dozen.

The winners from the weekend were Eastwood, Southern Districts, Eastern Suburbs, Northern Suburbs, Manly and Gordon, who leaped to the top of the competition ladder.

Here’s what the coaches thought on all the action.

RANDWICK V EASTWOOD at Coogee Oval

Beating Randwick at Coogee Oval at any time is a major achievement but Eastwood coach Ben Batger reckons they only got 50 percent of the job done on Saturday.

The Woods beat Randwick 43-41 in an epic encounter that saw the home side rattle home with two tries in the final minutes to close the gap but Batger mulled in the aftermath that his side would have to do better.

“To beat the No.1 team and a team that conceded only five points per game at their home ground was a big performance and one that will give us confidence heading into back end of year,” Batger said.

“Having said that I thought we only did 50 percent of the job.

“Our attack was really good and we controlled possession and territory and our forwards really put in some hard work which saw the backs get some opportunities with the ball in hand.

“Defensively though I thought we were quite poor as Randwick scored seven tries with limited possession. 

“Granted a few of them might be deemed lucky but they have speed and are dangerous with time and space.”

The two teams went pretty much score for score for much of the first 50 minutes but tries to Mark Nawaqanitawase, Devan Stolz and emerging prop Willie Leoso saw the scoreline jump out to 43-29 and the result seemingly in the bag.

But tries to Dylan Pietsch, Tom Nowlan and Brooklyn Hardaker, a late call up to the Shute Shield side after Maurice Longbottom pulled out, tightened things up and gave us the final scoreline.

The win see the Woods jump to fifth on the competition ladder with a little over a month to the playoffs and things seemingly gelling.

Their young flyhalf Tane Edmed enjoyed his return to Coogee Oval after he ventured over to TG Millner Field in the off season with the log jam of talented No.10s at Randwick.

He showed some nice touches with the ball in hand and kicked intelligently out of hand while he converted five of his side’s six tries and finished things off with a penalty goal.

His freedom to express himself in space and with time on his hands would not be able to done without the hard running of the likes of Sione Tau, Tom Murphy and Pat Sio.

Tau in particular has been great for the Woods and has been showing all the toughness and edge that he developed from his time in the Top 14 in France for much of the past six or so years.

Randwick coach Ben McCormack said that at the end of the day the Wicks just weren’t clinical enough.

“We gave them way too many opportunities in good field position and a side with that many big talented ball carriers was always going to make us pay for that,” he said.

“Our game management has been a strength to this point and I’ve got no doubt we’ll bounce back but we definitely had an off day in that space. 

“Still we managed to score seven tries to six and there were some ripper tries in there – but just didn’t do the little things well enough.”

Batger added: “Most coaches will tell you defence wins premierships and we have to be better there.

“That’s why I think Randwick will be there come finals times. They defended really well and their record shows they are a good defensive side.

 “They will also get an injection of Super Rugby talent so will only get better.”

EASTWOOD 43 (Willie Leoso, Tom Murphy, Mark Nawaqanitawase 2, Devan Stolz, Chris Bell tries; Tane Edmed 5 conversions, pen goal) d RANDWICK 41 (Kyle Harris, Brooklyn Hardaker 2, Simon Kennewell, Dylan Pietsch 2, Thomas Nowlan tries; Dave Horwitz 3 conversions)

WARRINGAH v SOUTHERN DISTRICTS at Pittwater Rugby Park

A try with 15 seconds left on the clock to a rampaging Will Latu saw Southern Districts snatch an unlikely 39-38 win over Warringah on Saturday.

On an afternoon that saw 12 tries scored, Souths dragged themselves back into the contest, and ahead, a number of times.

The first was after the first 25 minutes where Warringah had started absolutely on fire and the home side jumped to a 19-3 lead thanks to two tries to fullback Ben Marr and another to centre Tyson Davis.

But bubbling away in the background was the Rebels scrum that started to make its way into the game and have some telling effects later in the contest.

Once the game settled into its rhythm after half an hour or so the two two teams score for score, but the Rats got a telling break on the scoreline with about 10 minutes left on the clock and when skipper Sam Ward scored a win looked secure.

But that wasn’t what the gods had planned and Souths kicked deep to make the home side play out of their own territory.

It had the right effect and a turnover from of all people Ward saw the final act in this drama-filled afternoon play out. 

Souths coach Todd Louden said that was a win that his side “had no right to win”.

“With the amount of injuries that we have had, that was a victory that we had no right to,” Louden said.

“The win was a compliment to the quality of the young guys that this club has coming through the ranks at the moment.

“They showed a lot of character. It was a win that was far from perfect and in some ways showed what an exciting competition that the Shute Shield is developing into.

“We got lucky that’s for sure but we had a hand in creating that luck. The fact that we blew a 10-point lead at one stage in that second half is a credit to the quality of their side.”

Chris Kagiassis ended up scoring three tries as well as kicking three conversions and a penalty goal in what was good day out for the under rated wing and centre.

He had a telling effect on the game with Louden moving him into the centres in the second half so he could get his hands on the ball more often. 

Warringah coach Mike Ruthven said a lack of consistency from his side had cruelled their afternoon.

“That was a really disappointing result for the group. Full credit to souths who were good enough to ice their opportunities, especially with 90 seconds to go with the game on the line,” Ruthven said.

“That said, I really felt we beat ourselves on Saturday. We set the tone early with a great defensive set to start the game. 

“We scored some great tries off well-constructed footy and really had a strong hold on the game heading into the second half. 

“But poor discipline in the second half kept inviting Souths back into the game and we weren’t able to apply the same pressure we did in the first half.” 

Ruthven, despite the tough loss, sung the praises of his fullback Ben Marr.

“We again showed when we get it right we are a very dangerous footy side but consistency is our issue,” he said.

“I thought our forwards provided a strong platform for us and Ben Marr again proved he is one of the best talents getting around at the moment.”

SOUTHERN DISTRICTS 39 (Liam Moseley, Christian Kagiassis 3, Will Latu, Nathan Lawson tries; Kagiassis 3 conversions, pen goal) d WARRINGAH 38 (Mungo Mason, Sam Ward, Tyson Davis, Ben Marr 3 tries; Tom Halse 4 conversions) 

WEST HARBOUR V GORDON at Drummoyne Oval

A three-try spurt midway through the second half has seen Gordon storm to the top of the Shute Shield competition ladder following their 24-12 win over West Harbour on Saturday.

But just like the game against the Hunter Wildfires the round before there was a toll to pay.

Talented fullback and sometimes winger Jaline Graham broke his jaw and is gone for the rest of the Shute Shield season and that is sure to test the Highlanders depth in their outside backs.

Gordon coach Darren Coleman said the competition front runners had to work their way through a tough afternoon.

“Wests were a very tough opponent on Saturday and will test everyone that they play for the rest of the season,” Coleman said.

“We were never really comfortable against them and their scrum was able to put some pressure on us at different times. They were formidable at scrum time.

“Their breakout and offload game was hard to handle and is sure to test sides for the rest of the year. 

“We let ourselves down with execution and had our highest turnover rate for the season. 

“Jaline’s injury combined with the injuries from our game against the Wildfires is starting to test our backline depth.”

Wests coach Mark Gudmunson had nothing but praise for the Highlanders.

“Gordon are really well drilled. They are definitely a contender,” He said.

“I think if you spoke with anyone from Gordon, they would have said they had a real challenge against us that will help them in the run home. 

“On our side of things Pat Pellegrini continues to improve each week and he is managing our game well from flyhalf and kicking well. 

“Our front row was really strong again with Sonny Satuala, Tonga Tangitau and Cam Betham setting a really strong platform for us.”

GORDON 24 (Jack Margin 2, James Lough, Jordan Goddard tries; Rodney Iona 2 conversions) d WEST HARBOUR 12 (Patrick Pellegrini, James Turner tries; Pellegrini 1 conversion)

NORTHERN SUBURBS V WESTERN SYDNEY TWO BLUES at Camden Rugby Park

The leadership and poise of flyhalf Angus Sinclair help steer Northern Suburbs through a number of hurdles on their way to a 40-26 win over the Western Sydney Two Blues on Saturday.

The Two Blues actually scored the first try of the fixture and showed some genuine promise at different times of the game in the Southern Highlands of NSW but in the end Norths scored six tries to four.

Sinclair was able to turn the big Two Blues pack around and gave Norths a major advantage in territory at critical times.

He also converted five of Norths’ six tries in what ended up being quite a fine all round display.

Norths scrum half Nick Duffy continued his busy early season form and was rewarded with two tries thanks mostly to his good support work. 

His service is a plus in this Norths side but will come under pressure as the stakes become higher over the next month or so.

Norths changed their entire front row coming into this game and the trio of German Haeffeli, Gary Bautz and Dewald Dekker stood toe to toe with their opposition.

An injury to Tom Gilbert saw Cam Clark come into the starting side and he would appreciated getting an extended run after not playing a minute of footy in 2020.

The other Waratah who came out of the bubble Pat Tafa got 35 minutes at lock and was able to do some good work.

Norths coach Earl Va’a said it was good to take the game to the south west of Sydney.

“There were a lot of improvements in our front row. We forced a few penalties and gave away a few at scrum time but generally stood toe to toe with the Two Blues,” Va’a said.

“Angus Sinclair performed well and showed his leadership and game nous in getting us into the right parts of the field at the right time.

“The Two Blues are a side with so much potential and I must say that they deserved all four of their tries.

“It’s just that they need to do the good things int their game for longer, and that will happen.”

Two Blues coach Joel Rivers said a drop in intensity just before halftime had snatched the initiate from his side.

“We dropped our intensity just before the break and Norths scored twice off mistakes in our own half. This was extremely frustrating,” Rivers said.

“We went away from our game plan and made some silly mistake.  Then we scored a try in second half which by all measures was a try (even on tv) and the ref called us for knock on over the line. 

“That sparked the boys and we scored two quick tries, but in the end it was too late. 

“There was a lot of positives to come out of it but still some silly decisions and lack of game sense. 

“We’ve just got to keep pushing these guys to be better, sounds silly but that’s all we can do.”

NORTHERN SUBURBS 40 (Nick Duffy 2, Reece Mau’u, Nathan Russell, Cam Clark, James Morgan tries; Angus Sinclair 5 conversions) d WESTERN SYDNEY TWO BLUES 26 (Tuitakau Kioa 2, Penimapa Tuitupou, Airi Hunt tries; Rory Garrett 3 conversions). 

HUNTER WILDFIRES V EASTERN SUBURBS at Newcastle No.2 Sportsground

Eastern Suburbs coach Pauli Taumoepeau knew what was coming when they travelled to Newcastle to take on the Hunter Wildfires on Saturday and the home side delivered right on cue.

The Beasties came away with a bonus point 31-21 victory but it was one of those robustly physical games that the Wildfires are developing a reputation for.

Just after the halftime break the home side had managed to manufacture a 14-5 lead thanks to tries to winger Rob Buserau and lively centre Carl Manu.

But Easts dragged themselves back into the game with scores from skipper and scrum half Jack Grant, Lindsey Stevens as well as a penalty try from their handy scrum.

That pushed the score out to 24-14 in the visitors’ favour and set the tone for the rest of the afternoon.

“I thought the Wildfires played really well. They had passion and hunger right throughout the match,” Taumoepeau observed.

“The Wildfires took their opportunities and pressured us in that first half. ‘Bubba’ (Wildfires coach Scott Coleman) has that team humming. They’ll finish the year strong.” 

Taumoepeau liked the look of his new centre Mosese Tuipulotu as well as backrower James Donato who was rewarded with a late try.

Wildfires coach Scott Coleman said his side had learnt another valuable lesson against Easts.

”We’ve played the top seven teams in the first seven rounds, and we’ve learned some lessons and played some good footy,” Coleman said. 

“Now we’ve got a week to freshen up and we can come back for the final five rounds and have a crack at some teams in the bottom half of the table. 

“We’re hoping to get a few wins and climb up the ladder a bit.”

The match swung in Easts favour when replacement prop Dave Waller was sin binned midway through the second half.

“We conceded four penalties in a row inside our own 22, which is generally a warning,” Coleman added.

“Dave was just the unlucky one, to be honest. We’d already lost two props, and once he went off they went to a scrum and got a penalty try, and then they scored two more while we were down a man.”

EASTERN SUBURBS 31 (James Donato, Jack Grant, Sam Fogarty, Lindsey Stevens, penalty try tries; Daniel Donato 2 conversions) d HUNTER WILDFIRES 21 (Carl Manu, Nimilote Qio, Rob Buserau tries; Taulogo Lalaga 3 conversions).

PENRITH V MANLY at Nepean Rugby Park

Winning is always better than losing but when you’re pleased with the manner in which that victory was executed then it’s happy days.

That was how Manly coach Matt McGoldrick was feeling in the wake of the Marlins 64-22 win over Penrith at the foot of the mountains on Saturday.

The Marlins ran in seven tries to the Emus’ three in what was a comprehensive display that indicated that much of the new structure that McGoldrick and his coaching team have been bedding down is starting to stick.

“All our tries came off the back of good structure and it was a good step in the right direction for us,” McGoldrick observed.

“Mind you there is still a long road to hoe on this journey but in the rooms after the game the players could see that what we have been trying to do actually works.

“We were clinical in a lot of what we were doing and our scrum really got into them and just snuffed the life out of their game.

“It was nice for the guys to get some return on the effort that they have been putting in at each training run ands the games on Saturday. 

“It’s been far from easy with the turnover of players and the injuries but it was great for them to see the fruits.

“There are some good players out there at Penrith and their way they welcomed us and watered and fed us was just great.”

The scrum-half and fly-half combination of Harry Emery and Harley Attwater were the pick of the Marlins on Saturday.

Attwater is still coming to terms with the way that the coaches want him to play and Emery is finally back on the field after a long stint with injury.

This time around it’s been a quadricep injury and before that he has been held back by a shoulder injury but he showed his good running game and slick service on the weekend out west.

The Emus’ dean Blore continues to impress while Jeremia Faamausili continues to do good things on the wing for coach John Muggleton.

MANLY 64 (Harry Emery, Fraser Toohey 2, Michael Adams, Yool Yool, Jed Ibbotson 2 tries; Harley Attwater 6 conversions) d PENRITH 22 (Dean Blore, Jeremiah Faamausili, Api Bera tries; Dean Blore 2 conversions, pen goal)

IMAGE: SERGE GONZALEZ / EASTWOOD RUGBY